What the First Female Rangers Prove

Ranger School was one of the first things I learned about when I came to work in military culture. Its mythology is inescapable, and I've seen its powerful effects on many soldiers of my acquaintance, arming them with mental and physical discipline, confidence, poise and endurance.

In a nearly two-decade association with the U.S. Army, I've heard more Ranger School stories than war stories. Hurting after a rigorous physical workout with some of my infantryman friends, I learned a new nickname for the pain reliever Motrin: "Ranger Candy." I was taught that "Winter Rangers," who had endured the school in cold weather, once sewed their Ranger tabs on their uniforms with white thread. I vividly recall sitting around a dinner table listening to a group of retired officers, who had experienced close-quarters combat in Vietnam, regale each other for hours with anecdotes from Ranger School. It was clear that Ranger School, not war, was the central crucible of their lives, the source of an enduring bond.